The Mock Turtle

lazzbo wrote: ↑Mon Sep 05, 2022 2:01 pm This Morning is genuinely running competitions where the prize is to have your energy bills paid for four months. WTAF?

That's actually quite grotesque.

Dystopic, isn't it?

The Daily Mail had a similar competition - with absolutely no irony at all

Give it a year and that’s how we’ll decide on who eats and who doesn’t.

And make it a game! Is… The Hunger Games taken ?

I live opposite a large field and I‘m debating either to start work on a Thunderdome or Hunger Games arena this weekend.

My gas and electricity DD has been put up to £156 a month, I can't lower it without calling them. And by their figures, when we get to January I'll need to use more than 20% of my monthly income on heat and lights.

Shoe, can you cancel the direct debit and set up a standing order without calling them?

So we did an experiment last month and reduced our electricity bill by just over £15

Mr D's computer switched off at night and his 3 screens

Dab radio switched off at plug unless he's in the kitchen

Lights no longer on timer just put on as and when needed

Washing machine only used when I have a full load

I realise that it might go up this month if I have to use the heated airer etc

But it just goes to show little changes can make a difference

I’ve had a letter from Bulb giving me their price increases, and although I don’t use a lot of gas and electric I’ve started looking at where I can save. This morning, instead of putting on the lights in the kitchen (4 bulbs) I used the oven hood light (1 bulb). Every little helps, right?

I have some fairy lights in the sitting room and switched them on the other evening, and the guilt I felt at squandering electricity was ridiculous. But I’m switching everything else off at the plug unless it’s actually in use. I don’t suppose the microwave display uses much power but it seems like a good habit to get into.

Unfortunately I can’t switch the tv off at the plug because it has a gadget that measures what I’m watching for audience research purposes, but I got an email yesterday to say the rewards for having the gadget are being increased to compensate for the electricity it uses.

Bulb have emailed me saying they are putting my DD down! Based on the credit I have and the govt £400.

Will they have looked at last winters usage and adjusted it based on those figures?

Marth, I have had the same from Bulb but no notification of price increases so I wonder if they will put it up again when they come through?

I'm with Bulb. I received the email last week about a price increase from 1st October onwards and today about my direct debit being reduced.
I am quite sure next month I will get an email informing me of a direct debit increase

Octopus have taken my DD down to take into account the govt £400 with the option to put it back up so that the govt stuff goes toward paying the bill, which is quite handy if you don't want it to go there for whatever reason.

Weirdly, I went onto my Bulb account and as I’m in credit tried to reduce my payments. It actually told me I should be paying zero! So, yay, I’ll change it to zero then… but it came up with ‘must be £5 minimum’ so ok, £5 then, but it kept referring me back to zero!

I wasn’t able to change it at all but wtf???

EDF are giving me a sixth of the payment back into the account from which I pay my DD every month.

Another bulb customer, another dd reduction. I am deeply mistrustful of it.

Derek Nimmo wrote: ↑Wed Sep 28, 2022 7:20 pm Another bulb customer, another dd reduction. I am deeply mistrustful of it.

Me too. Though I suppose if we have a healthy credit to put with the £400 in monthly installments and our monthly payment as well, that could add up to a tidy amount

I think the reduction is a result of the £400 that Rishi announced.